In a surprise move, Warner Bros. ‘The Flash’ is undergoing a rewrite by comics author Grant Morrison and Ezra Miller. That’s right, the actor playing the titular character is making his final stand to stay onboard the film.
This scenario came out of a clash of creative visions between Miller and the writer-director duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (‘Spider-Man: Homecoming,’ ‘Game Night’).
The duo want to take a lighter approach to the material. Warners Bros. wants to keep their trend of “fun” with their superhero movies. This is due to their highest grossing DC film ‘Aquaman,’ and the upcoming ‘Shazam!,’ which has great early buzz.
However, Miller wants a darker take on the material.
Here’s what The Hollywood Reporter, who gave the exclusive, had to say on the current situation:
“The two sides have been working on compromises since last year but Miller took the initiative to tackle the story himself. He partnered with Morrison, with Warners hiring the two to script their take. It is a rare move for an actor to be so invested in a superhero project that they switch hats, but Miller sees himself as deeply committed to the character.”
Further, Miller and Morrison have no feature film writing experience, but Morrison wrote on ‘Happy!,’ the SyFy television adaptation of his graphic novel of the same name.
Meanwhile, just last month, Miller assured fans ‘The Flash’ is still getting made, and they want to take their time to make the movie perfect. Perhaps that was the first sign of this writing venture.
The script could be submitted to the studio as early as next week. And here’s why:
“If Warners chooses against Miller’s take on the hero, the actor could part ways with the project. Additionally, and fittingly for a hero who races to beat the clock, there is a countdown scenario here as well: according to one insider, Miller’s holding deal on Flash expires May.”
Additionally, there’s his commitment to the ongoing ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise. The third installment got a bump back in filming, moving from July to late Fall (which may now be just “at the end of this year”). This adds to the perpetual limbo ‘The Flash’ has been in for quite some time.
We at GWW recently gave a report that the movie is currently eyeing a November 2019 production start. This could be in jeopardy depending on how this new screenplay goes.
The worst case scenario being the film getting cancelled altogether. Alternatively, Miller could be recast, and Daley and Goldstein still make the movie. If not, it is truly unknown if the duo will stay onboard to direct if Warner Bros. approves Miller and Morrison’s script.
‘The Flash’ currently does not have a release date yet. But, if it begins filming this November, it could release in 2021.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter